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To meet the increasing demand for tractors originally built at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, the Harvester Company began manufacturing them also at the Akron Works, Alcron, Ohio. The Company's experience with friction drive, however, similar to that of Foos and others who tried out the Morton truck, indicated that friction transmission for plowing was not altogether satisfactory, so in 1907 a gear transmission for forward speed was developed at Upper Sandusky, and the first gear drive tractor was shipped in the fall of that year (Tractor No. 1310). That the tractor was assuming increasing importance is also evident from the fact that the experimental work on tractors which began in 1905 at Key¬ stone Works was transferred in February, 1907, to McCormick Works, and in October of the same year to the Alcron Vforks. The original tractor begun by Mr. Johnston at Keystone Works underwent numerous changes at Akron, It became a foiir-wheel tractor with two speeds forward and one reverse. The drive was through a friction clutch, with final drive of malleable chain. The first machine completed was equipped with a Brennan motor, tank-cooled. Later a three-cylinder motor, developing ¦% about 40 b.h.p.', was designed for the tractor, sind the entire machine was made ready early in 1908 for the Winnipeg contest.
The output of all companies for 1907 was about 600 machines, of which Hart-Parr and the Harvester Company each built about one-third.
With the machines already in the field, Hart-Parr had the edge, though their position was not as secure as one would judge from the re¬ mark credited to C. W. Hart, "I will welcome the day when I have a good strong competitor in the farm tractor field. It is a pretty heavy load to do all the advertising and all the educating."^jif Mr. Hart's remark accurately suminarizes the situation, there was competition already in sight which was very soon to bring about an entii'ely new alignment.
1908
The Beginning of Tractor Demonstrations
While field demonstrations and trials may be considered a more or less primitive method of advertising and selling, any industry when it reaches that stage of exploitation may be considered a permanent in¬ stitution. It is evident that the manufacturers at least have faith enough in their product to go before the world and spend money to con¬ vince the trade that what they have to offer is desirable and practical. In 1908 the tractor industry had reached that period in its development. This year marks the first Wirmipeg motor contest. Plowing with tractors was an assured success, at least in the manufacturers' estimation, and there were enough of them in the field to make the industry of some prominence. A. Bumess Greig, whose father was connected with the Fowlers of England, the originators of cable plowing, was in Canada studying plow¬ ing systems. He, like many others, realized the possibilities of the great Canadian west and also the handicaps to be met with in opening up these vast prairies. Mechanical plowing vms essential. The big steam outfits, even though they had been redesigned, never proved popular.

Unpublished manuscript compiled by A.C. Seyfarth, a retired International Harvester advertising executive in the 1930s. The manuscript covers the history and development of the company’s tractor line, including the Farmall. The manuscript also contains collected reminiscences of company engineers who recount the earliest days of tractor and engine development at International Harvester.

To meet the increasing demand for tractors originally built at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, the Harvester Company began manufacturing them also at the Akron Works, Alcron, Ohio. The Company's experience with friction drive, however, similar to that of Foos and others who tried out the Morton truck, indicated that friction transmission for plowing was not altogether satisfactory, so in 1907 a gear transmission for forward speed was developed at Upper Sandusky, and the first gear drive tractor was shipped in the fall of that year (Tractor No. 1310). That the tractor was assuming increasing importance is also evident from the fact that the experimental work on tractors which began in 1905 at Key¬ stone Works was transferred in February, 1907, to McCormick Works, and in October of the same year to the Alcron Vforks. The original tractor begun by Mr. Johnston at Keystone Works underwent numerous changes at Akron, It became a foiir-wheel tractor with two speeds forward and one reverse. The drive was through a friction clutch, with final drive of malleable chain. The first machine completed was equipped with a Brennan motor, tank-cooled. Later a three-cylinder motor, developing ¦% about 40 b.h.p.', was designed for the tractor, sind the entire machine was made ready early in 1908 for the Winnipeg contest.
The output of all companies for 1907 was about 600 machines, of which Hart-Parr and the Harvester Company each built about one-third.
With the machines already in the field, Hart-Parr had the edge, though their position was not as secure as one would judge from the re¬ mark credited to C. W. Hart, "I will welcome the day when I have a good strong competitor in the farm tractor field. It is a pretty heavy load to do all the advertising and all the educating."^jif Mr. Hart's remark accurately suminarizes the situation, there was competition already in sight which was very soon to bring about an entii'ely new alignment.
1908
The Beginning of Tractor Demonstrations
While field demonstrations and trials may be considered a more or less primitive method of advertising and selling, any industry when it reaches that stage of exploitation may be considered a permanent in¬ stitution. It is evident that the manufacturers at least have faith enough in their product to go before the world and spend money to con¬ vince the trade that what they have to offer is desirable and practical. In 1908 the tractor industry had reached that period in its development. This year marks the first Wirmipeg motor contest. Plowing with tractors was an assured success, at least in the manufacturers' estimation, and there were enough of them in the field to make the industry of some prominence. A. Bumess Greig, whose father was connected with the Fowlers of England, the originators of cable plowing, was in Canada studying plow¬ ing systems. He, like many others, realized the possibilities of the great Canadian west and also the handicaps to be met with in opening up these vast prairies. Mechanical plowing vms essential. The big steam outfits, even though they had been redesigned, never proved popular.